All, It has been several years since I have had any case color work done. In the past I have used Ohio Case Color but he is no longer doing work. Any recommendations for a Ithaca NID 16 ga. Thanks

Shiloh Sharps in Big Timber, Montana, do a magnificent job. They do both Bone/Charcoal and Cyanide dipping. A friend sent his Sharps Borchardt there for a Bone/Charcoal finish. It's not cheap, but I've never seen better. The action and parts had been finished polished and engraved so there was no preparation work for Shiloh to do. Cost around $400.00. They have a website with contact Emails and Phone. Ask for Lucinder, she'll give you a quote.

If your action has been previously CC hardened, it will require anealing first. This is a simple process but has to be carried out in an 'Inert'atmosphere' so no scaling is produced on the surface of the metal.

There are several other firms that do this work, some perhaps cheaper than others, but, anyone who buys on price alone is a salesmans lawful prey.

Harry

classicgunsinc.com John Gillette, Crete, IL.

I second Classsic GUns in Ill, did a great job for me on a Lefever.

don do it!

but, if you decide to anyway, please do let us know how it all turns out!

worse case, i would be interested in the barrels and wood...

Even if no one ever re-cased a receiver again, forever 'n ever, it would not make torching one acceptable.

Does Gillette do cyanide colors, too?

SRH

I'm thinking about having a gun redone. Has anyone had problems after having a gun redone? Sorry, but the post above makes me a bit nervous now.

Classic Guns did a Smith 20 for me and no warpage of parts. Bobby

Brad Bachelder in Grand Rapids, MI. He does bone and charcoal as well if not better than anyone else right now and his prices and tuen around are reasonable. He case colored my 28 ga Parker repro and the result was coloration very similar to original Parker colors. Most recently he restored a Grade 5 LCS and the colors are perfect. I have seen a lot of Parkers, Smiths, Lefevers and English guns he has re-cased and the work is consistently outstanding.

Harry,

Is Shilo Sharps affiliated with C. Sharps Arms in Big Timber? I have a A.H. Fox action that was color case hardened by them recently.

-jmc

Do you have any pictures of the Fox, jmc, and did they do charcoal pack or cyanide ?

Thanks, SRH

Stan,

Here's the Fox re-cased by Sharps. I did not send it directly rather a shop that was doing other work on her sent it there. Bone and charcoal. Definitely not Foxish colors but 'pretty'.

Clark Gunsmithing And Restoration
221 E Haddm Clchstr Tpke
East Haddam, CT 64231002
(860) 873-9639

He did my two Ithaca NIDs (12/20- the two top guns) around year 2007/2008:

Sorry, for me those colours are way too "extravagant". I have a Dodd Hughes single shot that was case hardened by Doug Turnbull BUT I specified "subdued" colours, it came out like this,







INMO the best in the world is Ray St Ledger in Birmingham, UK who does all the work for the usual suspects



best, Mike

Very nice, jmc. You're right, they're not Foxish colors, but they don't look too out of place on it. Very nice.

Dig told me several years ago that Ray St. Ledger was the best to do English guns, to replicate original colors, but I am specifically looking for someone to do a Fox with cyanide. I am chasing down a lead on a place in Pennsylvania now that does cyanide casing for industry. They supposedly did the cyanide casing for Fox many, many years ago. We'll see.

The idea, for me, is to replicate the original colors. If that can't be done, I'll probably leave it as is.

Thanks all, SRH

Stan, check out Paul Lippold of Ron's Gun Shop in Oshkosh, WI who offers cyanide case coloring with the swirling mottled effect used by A.H. Fox.
http://www.ronsgunshop.com/

Mike Bailey, if I ordered "subdued colors" from Doug Turnbull, I would expect exactly the colors pictured on the Hughes gun. What's not to like about those colors?

Hello jmc,

No they are two independant companies, although I do believe Shiloh Sharps do some action and other castings for C.Sharps. They are both on the same street in Big Timber.

C. Sharps Arms, Inc. // P.O. Box 885, Big Timber MT 59011 // P (406) 932-4353 // F (406) 932-4443 // rifles@csharpsarms.com

Harry.

Eightbore, sorry, that is what I meant, they came out exactly right for me, not too bright, best, Mike

Wild Skies,

Thank you very much. I had not heard of them, and that is exactly what I am looking for. I will check them out. It seems that Fred Heinzelman in PA is closed down. No answer on any of their phone numbers.

SRH

Harry, thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't sure and have been through Big Timber and one of the two was pointed out to me. It was a coincidence that my gun was apparently sent to C. Sharps. A long story, but had I known, I probably would have veto'd it.

Stan - thanks for the compliment. The range of colors got washed out a bit by the flash on my iPhone and I do believe it looks better in person.